


Vermilion Goodwitch: The Early Years

by Anonymous



Series: Vermilion Goodwitch [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, RWBY
Genre: Adopted Harry, F/M, Female Harry Potter, Harry Potter was Adopted by Other(s), Manipulative Dumbledore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-03-31 21:29:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 4,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3993517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Glynda Goodwitch may be a woman of many flaws, but she could not leave that child there, alone, to be beaten to death. And, with some help, she will become an excellent mother. The only question is if Beacon can survive the growing up of one Vermilion Goodwitch, once known as Haley "Freak" Potter?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The End of Freak, The Beginning of Vermilion

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Vermilion is a bright red, going with RWBY culture of naming children after colors. It sounded cool, so I used it.
> 
> 2\. This isn't really about shipping (for now), but there will be a decent amount of Glynda/Ozpin fluff (I ship it) and maybe some other ships later.
> 
> 3\. This story begins about 6 years before RWBY canon. Vermilion is 4 or 5 years old.

It was a bright, cold February morning when Glynda walked briskly through Privet Drive. The houses were a bit too uniform for her taste, a bit too conforming, but she wasn’t one to judge. She was simply walking to a certain location so she could go home, and this was the shortest route. However, when she heard a child’s cry, Glynda knew she wouldn’t make it to the landing strip by 9 o’clock. Glynda quietly crept up to Number Four and noticed that there was a very small child being beaten by a walrus-like man.

Vernon Dursley was broken out of punishing the freak by a knock at the door. He opened it to find a very annoyed blond woman glaring at him, a riding crop in hand.

Five minutes later, Glynda was rushing to a hospital, carrying a tiny girl. Worryingly, the girl wasn’t conscious. “Excuse me, I found an abused child and I think she needs a checkup,” Glynda explained to the clerk.

“Right this way, Miss-”

“Goodwitch.”

“Yes. What was her address, by the way?”

“Number Four, Privet Drive.”

“Okay. The doctor should be in soon.” Within minutes, a doctor rushed through the door and began to check the girl over, before swearing and taking her to get X-rays. Within an hour, it was determined the girl would have to stay overnight and a very annoyed Ozpin called.

“Glynda, why aren’t you at Beacon?”

“I found a child being abused.” Ozpin internally groaned. This would not end well.

“And?”

“Things happened. She’s attached to me and me alone for some reason. I think I’ll adopt her.” Ozpin sighed. Despite generally being a strict teacher, he knew very well that Glynda was a big softie when it came to children.

“Just be back by Saturday.”

* * *

 

“Hello, little one,” Glynda said as the girl woke up. “My name is Glynda. What’s yours?”

“Hi, Miss Glynda,” the girl replied. “I’m Freak.” Glynda growled. What else could those relatives of hers done?

“No, that isn’t a good name. I’m going to adopt you, so I guess you’ll need a new name.” The girl looked up at her curiously.

“Adopt?”

“I’ll be your new mommy.” The girl grinned.

“Really?”

“Of course, little one. Hmm… how about Ruby? No, too pretentious. Claret? No, that isn’t pretty enough for a girl like you. “Glynda continued to ponder color names before reaching one she felt fit perfectly. “Why don’t I name you Vermilion? Vermilion Goodwitch. That has a good ring to it.”

* * *

 

“Glynda,” Ozpin said, noticing his coworker carrying a child. “You weren’t kidding.”

“Of course I wasn’t. Ozpin, meet Vermilion Goodwitch, my daughter.” The little girl smiled up at him.

“Hello, Vermilion, I am Professor Ozpin.” Vermilion giggled. “I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot of each other.” Vermilion giggled again.

“Daddy,” Vermilion said. Ozpin and Glynda blinked and stared at the little girl. “What?” Glynda blushed.

“It will be an interesting few years,” Ozpin muttered, while silently praying that this little girl wouldn’t pick up certain traits from the students. “Vermilion, do you like to learn?” Vermilion nodded cheerfully. “Brilliant. Why don’t we let her sit in on some of the first year’s lessons once the new school year begins?”

“That would certainly be… interesting. It might keep her out of trouble at least.” At that moment, both adults vowed to give this little girl the best education they could and destroy anyone and anything that got in their way.

In an office far, far away, a silver instrument broke and shattered as the wards on Privet Drive collapsed and a certain Haley Potter slipped out of an old man’s grasp. His plotted fate was falling apart as a new future emerged - one of a girl named Vermilion Goodwitch, who had a plan and a will of her own.


	2. Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some lessons Vermilion learned from the Dursleys don't go away easily. Luckily, she has parents to reeducate her.

Glynda had been a professor long enough to not stress about broken objects. Anything in her office that could be easily knocked down was easily replaceable. When she heard the crash of something breaking, she merely turned her head to survey the damage and quickly wrote the broken vase off as nothing major when Vermilion began to scream. _What did I do?_

“S-sorry, sorry, didn’t mean to,” Vermilion mumbled. “Sorry, sorry, please don’t hit me!” Glynda sighed. _It’s my own fault I’m in this position_.

“Vermilion, it’s alright,” Glynda said as calmly as possible. “It’s just a vase. I didn’t like that vase much anyways. It’s okay.” Vermilion blinked up at Glynda with bright green eyes. Just like mine. Seconds later, Vermilion was in Glynda’s arms, crying. “Shh… it’s alright.” _This is my job, isn’t it? She’s my daughter, and she always will be._ “Vermilion, it’s alright, it’s just a vase.” Slowly, the girl - _my daughter_ \- calmed down.

_Vermilion is my daughter, and I can’t do anything about it. Still, there’s nothing I’d rather be._

* * *

 

Ozpin had gotten used to students and the chaos they produced. When he heard the crash, he merely turned his head to survey the damage; a pile of books were now residing on the floor, almost definitely thanks to the still-too-thin, black haired girl standing next to the collapse, both hands over her mouth. He almost wrote the incident off as nothing to worry about when Vermillion began to scream.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I swear, I’m sorry, please don’t hit me, I’m sorry,” Vermillion cried as she ran away from the pile while still keeping her gaze trained on Ozpin before running into the wall. The girl quickly curled into a ball. “I’m sorry, Daddy, I’m sorry!” Ozpin groaned. _Of course_ this had to happen the week Glynda was out. He had to deal with this. Sighing, Ozpin slowly approached Vermilion, who shrank back.

“Vermilion, it’s okay, you didn’t even break anything,” Ozpin said softly, trying not to scowl at Vermilion flinching away from him. “It’s alright, sweetheart. It’s okay.” Vermilion looked up at him with piercing green eyes. _Just like her mother._

“B-but Uncle always said-”

“I’m not your uncle. I will never hurt you. It’s alright.” Ozpin held his arms open. After one suspicious glance, Vermilion dashed into them so fast Ozpin couldn’t track her. As he held her, something vaguely warm fluttered in his chest.

“Daddy, I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, it’s my fault-” Ozpin shushed the child.

“It’s okay, Vermilion, we all make mistakes. Don’t cry, it’s going to be alright.” Vermilion continued to sob into his chest. Ozpin tightened his embrace protectively. _Whether I like it or not, Vermilion has picked me to be her father. I’ve got a daughter to protect. She’s my baby girl, too._ Ozpin smiled as Vermilion fell asleep. _I wouldn’t change it for the world._


	3. Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are many lessons to learn.

Beacon stood oddly silent as the gleaming metal airships brought the students in. Peeking out of an upstairs window, a small girl in a red dress watched them in wonder.

“Enjoying the show, sweetheart?” Glynda asked. The girl nodded.

“They’re so _big_ ,” Vermilion replied. “They’re so _pretty_.” Glynda chuckled.

“They are big, aren’t they? In those airships are dozens of students coming here to learn, and you’re going to learn with them.”

“Really?”

“Of course, you’re not going to be learning combat with them, but you can manage most of their nonviolent lessons. I have a feeling you’ll do well with people on your level of intelligence.”

“Really? I get to learn all this cool stuff _and_ I don’t have to pretend I’m stupid?” Glynda growled internally. Those relatives of her had forced her to hide one of the most important traits anyone could have?

“Of course. You can learn all you want.” Vermilion grinned.

“I want to learn it _all_.”

* * *

 

Oobleck raced around the classroom, talking faster than what seemed physically possible. Vermilion sat in the front row, listening intently. This was definitely interesting, and none of the other students bugged her in history.

“Now, who can tell me why General Lagune failed in the Battle of Fort Castle? Mister Winchester?”

“It’s easier to train an animal than a soldier,” Brendan Winchester said idiotically. Oobleck, Vermilion, and most of the students rolled their eyes.

“Let’s hope this idiot is an only child,” One of the Faunus students muttered.

“That isn’t right. Miss Goodwitch?”

“He failed to take into account that many Faunus have good night vision and practically all have better night vision than humans when he planned a nocturnal attack. Even though the Faunus were heavily outnumbered, they had better aim because they could actually see.,” Vermilion said calmly.

“Excellent,” Oobleck replied. The bell rang. “That appears to be the end of class. Mister Winchester, please write me an essay discussing the events leading up to and during the rebellion that caused the Faunus to rebel and succeed.” The students left quickly to their next classes as Vermilion went to her mother’s classroom to watch the third years fight.

* * *

 

“Remember, always check your aura level. It should give you some indication on whether you should retreat or attack,” Glynda reminded the students and Vermilion. Vermilion watched the fights carefully. Her mother had just begun to teach her hand-to-hand combat, and she might - might - get a simple weapon for her eighth birthday if she showed she was ready. It was interesting to watch the fights, anyway, to see the tactics at least. “Are you enjoying the show?” Vermilion nodded. “What have you learned?”

“Most of these people are stronger than me,” Vermilion replied softly. Glynda nodded. “Overall, just about everyone is stronger than me. I need to be faster than the others, so they can’t hit me. If I’m attacked, I should run if I can, not fight. Less likely to lose that way.” Glynda smiled.

“That’s my girl. You’re going to be a great Huntress someday.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This will probably be the longest chapter for a while, as this is basically a collection of oneshots about Vermilion's childhood.  
> 2\. Brendan Winchester is Cardin's older brother. They're pretty similar, hence Brendan giving the same answer. He's a bit of an idiot.  
> 3\. The "pretend I'm stupid" is a common fanon that Harry underperforms because he has to get worse grades that Dudley or else.


	4. Faunus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some traits are not considered normal, but nothing is too insane when it's your child.

“Vermilion… what happened to you?” Ozpin. Standing in front of his desk was his daughter, looking embarrassed. The embarrassment probably came from the fact she had two rusty red, tufted cat ears and a stumpy cat tail. How did his daughter consistently get into situations like this? _Of course a trouble magnet had to adopt_ me _._

“Daddy, I don’t know,” Vermilion replied. Vermilion, despite several people’s best efforts, refused to call Ozpin anything but “Daddy”. “I was thinking about cats and I grew ears and a tail.” Ozpin thought for a second and found a possible solution.  _Hopefully this works, or Vermilion's going to be a Faunus for a while. How could she even do this in the first place?_

“Think about you as you normally are,” Ozpin commanded. The cat ears and tail eventually disappeared. “Sometime when there are less people here, we’ll see if you can complete the transformation.” Vermilion nodded and skipped off to class.

* * *

 

Ozpin would regret the second part of his statement a month later, when there was a rusty red lynx sitting calmly at his desk, staring at him with bright green eyes and swishing its tail. Softly, the cat meowed. If he hadn't known better, Ozpin would have sworn the cat was grinning as it waved its front right paw.

“VERMILION!” Ozpin yelled. Glynda raced into his office and promptly began laughing at the image of Ozpin staring at the lynx form of their daughter, who was still waving and grinning like a maniac.  _Of course our daughter is the insanity magnet._ She quickly decided not to mention that Vermilion had been practicing in her office the week before, or that she could mimic Faunus features at will.

“What? You said I could try to complete the transformation,” Vermilion argued. “I figured out how to do it and change back.”

Ozpin and Glynda shuddered as they realized that their daughter had just unearthed a very large weapon in her prank arsenal. Knowing their trouble magnet, this power would end up being used frequently and not necessarily for good.

Still, no one could accurately predict just how much chaos one shapeshifting girl could cause. Not all of the damage would be confined to Beason, though Ozpin and Glynda certainly didn’t mind the trouble their daughter caused the “master manipulator”. Instead of having a willing pawn, Dumbledore would get a girl so much stronger, faster, and smarter than he’d wished, and more skilled, cynical, and independent than he’d feared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The faunus thing is a fanon theory of mine that you can get stuck halfway through an animagus transformation and can’t change either way. Vermilion’s animagus form is a lynx, because cats always seem mischievous to me, they have retractable claws, and can stalk around (and fit into tiny places) easily. Note these abilities; they will be used repeatedly later on. Also, remember that Vermilion can control what and when she shifts.


	5. Interference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some people don't know when to give up and let life go on a different road. Some of these people have magic. Few will return to beacon.

Albus Dumbledore was a very old, supposedly wise man who had no clue what “Beacon” was. All he knew about this mysterious academy was that his pawn was there and he needed his pawn back. However, it would appear that Beacon had other ideas.

The first person Dumbledore met looked at him like he was an idiot, along with the second. The third person pulled his weapon. The fourth called two adults named Goodwitch and Ozpin.

“Hello, my name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, and I am here to find my charge Haley Potter. If-” Dumbledore was cut off by a fist to the gut.

“Ozpin, I will contact authorities for trespassing and attempted kidnapping. You keep this madman in check.” The two adults moved like a well-polished team. By the time police arrived, Dumbledore was black and blue, courtesy of the man called Ozpin. Though he didn’t know it, his pawn had been less than ten feet away from him, watching the scene unfold, with cat ears and claws at the ready.

* * *

 

“We should have known someone would come,” Ozpin muttered.

“Yes, but why that Old Goat? And why was he here?” Oobleck bounced around the staffroom, as their expert on magic.  He had run away from magical society, but he still knew more than the rest of them put together. “The wards should’ve kept him out. Also, Dumbledore is an academic. Why would he come on a 'rescue mission'?”

“It doesn’t matter. He’s not going to win,” Glynda said firmly. “We’ve got him on record and we’ve got dozens of people with weapons on campus. We can and will fight him.”

* * *

 

When the next “wizard” came, he found himself at the business end of several impressive weapons. “You will be coming with us to Ozpin’s office, and you will be explaining exactly why you felt you could trespass without repercussions, especially since there is no one by the name Haley Potter here.”

“Stupid Potter brat!” The greasy man snarled as he hexed the boy pinning his arms and tried to grab the girl next to him. Unfortunately (for him, at least), this was a school where the students were taught to fight monsters several times their size and definitely stronger than any man. He soon found himself in a specially warded cell, courtesy of Beacon Academy, for assault and trespassing. Soon, a gray-haired man walked in.

“Now sir, why don’t you tell me why you came here for a girl who lived in England and died from abuse?” Ozpin asked calmly. “Of course, you also want to tell me your name and who you work for.”

“I am being held illegally,” the other man snarled. “I won’t tell you anything.”

“Oh, this confinement isn’t illegal. You trespassed into my school and assaulted one of my students breaking campus, city, and national laws. Now, who are you and why did you come here, or do you want to meet an Ursa first hand?”

“My name is Severus Snape, and I am here on orders from my employer to find his charge, who has been kidnapped.”

“Haley Potter died in England a year ago. Have you not looked at the records?”

“She is alive and here and I will find her.” Ozpin grinned.

“Unless you want to see just how strong hunters and huntresses are, you will leave and never return. Any one of my students can beat you. Unless you have a visitor’s pass, you can be jailed for two days under trespass charges. Don’t push your luck, Snape.”

* * *

 

“Daddy, what happened?”

“Nothing, sweetheart. I just had to ask some questions to a trespasser of ours. We wouldn’t want criminals to get in here, you know. That would be beyond dangerous.” _She will never know how close these idiots came to kidnapping her back to her relatives. She has enough to worry about already. It’s my job to keep her safe._

"Are they bad guys gone?"

"Yes, Vermilion. They left and I doubt they ever want to come back here once they learned of the unstoppable force that is your mother."

* * *

 

“Give Haley Potter over, now, or she gets it!” _BANG!_

“I am here to rescue Haley Potter!” _CRASH!_

“Show me where Haley Potter is!” _SMASH!_ Glynda sighed and rubbed a headache. What was this, the seventeenth idiot this week?

“All of you!” Glynda yelled. “There is no Haley Potter on the premises! Unless you want to end up with a jail sentence, GET OUT AND SEARCH FOR YOUR DAMN CHOSEN ONE SOMEWHERE ELSE!” Glynda turned around to see Ozpin and their daughter staring at her, openmouthed.

“Mommy said a bad word.”

“Yes, yes she did, sweetheart.”

“What’s with the bad people showing up?”

“They appear to think some girl names Haley Potter lives here.”

“But there’s no one named Haley or Potter here, ever!”

“I know. They aren’t very bright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liking it? Comment any suggestions you might have. I might not post tomorrow because I have things to do that would deny internet access. In case you didn't figure it out already, this story will feature manipulative Dumbledore. Don't like, don't read, don't rain on my parade.
> 
> I may begin posting first year instead of this sometime soon, because I do have some of that ready.


	6. Meeting Velvet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain rabbit faunus meets the daughter of a professor.

An eight-year-old girl watched the students disembark again. This wasn’t the first year she had watched the glittering airships descend to her home, and it wouldn’t be the last. As the crowd dispersed, Vermilion noticed one particularly lost and alone first year. Slowly, she began walking.

“Do you need help?” Velvet turned around to see a little girl with black hair and green eyes staring up at her curiously. She was wearing a bright red t-shirt and a black skirt and boots.

“It’s okay, kid, I’m just lost,” Velvet reassured her. The girl gave her a stubborn frown.

“Where are you trying to go?”

“I’m trying to find the assembly hall of Beacon Academy.” Velvet expected the girl to sigh, for her smile to droop, for her to realize there was nothing she could do. She did none of those things. Instead, the girl smiled brightly.

“I know where that is!” Velvet sighed in relief. “I can take you there.”

“Thank you. I’m Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina.”

“You’re welcome. I’m Vermilion. Vermilion Goodwitch.” Velvet soon found herself in the assembly hall with the other first years and the daughter of a professor. “I’ve gotta go. Bye!” The little girl ran off.

* * *

 

Velvet looked carefully for Vermilion the next few days, and managed to see her once or twice, and a faunus girl that looked awfully like her another time. The next time she had a good view of the girl, she was standing next to Professor Goodwitch as teams were assigned, grinning like a maniac. With a wink, she closed her eyes and grew a pair of black-rimmed, tufted cat ears and a stumpy tail before switching back to normal.

When Velvet headed to her History class, she noticed Vermilion there as well. Velvet quickly picked the seat next to the girl. Vermilion looked excited and ready to see how this class turned out. One sly grin was the beginning of an interesting friendship that would have many of the professors alternately laughing and groaning for several years to come.


	7. Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brendan gets taught a painful lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you haven't noticed, I put up the first chapter of Vermilion Goodwitch and the Sorcerer's Stone Saturday, so you might want to check that out.

There was one fact of life for any Faunus at Beacon: any Winchester boy is a sexist, racist bigot. However, two students were going to change the way Brendan thought about Faunus, and females in general.

“Bunny Girl!” Brendan yelled. When that didn’t work, he grabbed one of Velvet’s ears and yanked, causing her to stumble and cry out in pain. “Didn’t you hear me, Bunny Girl? It’s rude to ignore your superiors.” Velvet fought the grip on her ear as Brendan tugged her off, not noticing the red cat with the stumpy tail. The cat hissed at him before digging its claws into his face. “Get off, you stupid cat!” The cat jumped off  after he let go of Velvet’s ear, leaving her free to slap Brendan as hard as she could before kicking him with a surprising amount of strength.

“That is why you should never mess with people who have fought every day of their lives,” Velvet growled. “No matter what, they can and will beat you.”

“Also, note that this is a school for those people who, when willing, display a high enough level of violence to kill Grimm,” Vermilion added, shifting back to human form.

“So you can do a full transformation?”

“Yup. It’s dead useful.”

Brendan was left to the sound of girlish laughter as the pair walked away.

“You think he’s going to learn?” Vermilion laughed at the question.

“This is Brendan freaking Winchester. He has been spewing that stuff for three years already, and that’s the bare minimum. He flunked the Faunus Rights Rebellion history class twice. You skipped it because the topic was sensitive, but he literally was so biased he couldn’t do the coursework! Trust me, I saw the first flunking. Nothing short of a lightning bolt and another Winchester will change his mind.”

“Still, a set of cat scratches across his face might him teach a small lesson, at least.”

“Well, he’s not going to forget about those. I’m pretty sure they’ll scar.”

“He deserves it.”

* * *

The old wizard sighed. It was harder and harder to track Vermilion as she waltzed further and further from her intended role. The bindings on her magic had snapped, one by one. The tracking charm was slowly slipping off of her. For once, the old wizard truly had no option left.

He had one trick up his sleeve, but that was his riskiest plan, and there would be no going back after that. However, the Greater Good needed Haley Potter, and it needed her as a willing sacrifice. So, for the Greater Good, he had to follow his last option. This would be his greatest comeback yet.

However, a few determined people without magic would destroy that plan. Arguably, that was the best outcome of that series of events.

 


	8. Four Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glynda and Ozpin fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say oops? I completely forgot to update, plus I'm working on a lot of stuff. Sorry!

The first time they had discovered the power of four words, it had been six months after Vermilion had adopted them. It had been a throwaway comment, almost. They had been tired and maybe a little bit drunk, but Glynda remembered what he had said, and Ozpin knew what that had meant to her.

They hadn’t talked about it for a while, but had accepted those words after a tense, hushed conversation. Vermilion hadn’t known; after all, she had slept through both conversations. Still, their colleagues had.

Port had chuckled knowingly. Oobleck bounced around as he normally did, making awkward comments. Peach had just smiled innocently at them, which suggested that a) there was a betting pool and b) she had won it.

Overall, those first four words had an exponential impact.

_Glynda, I love you._

* * *

 

The next time had been several years later, in the chaos of the summer Vermilion had received the thousand letters, but the timing would never be right. Peach had yet again won a betting pool, and their colleagues had yet again detected everything before Vermilion had.

Those four words had led to a beautiful event on August 25th, six days before Vermilion would be forced away from them because of a meddling old man. Without time on their side, everything was a bit rushed. Still, they had made it work, and it had been beautiful.

_Will you marry me?_

Somehow, four little words could change everything, but they stood firm, like statues of glass, inseparable.

 


	9. Little Doll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coco and Vermilion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, there was a lot of stuff to do this summer. As an apology, I will be posting twice on Early Years today and probably posting the next chapter of Sorcerer's Stone later today or tomorrow.

Velvet should have known that introducing Vermillion and Coco was a bad idea. To be fair, it wasn’t a conscious decision. The rest of her team had met Vermilion by chance, and it had gone better than she had thought.

Yatsuhashi had thought the small girl adorable, and Vermilion shared a lot of his interests. The girl’s interest in pyrotechnics was both honest and honestly terrifying. Fox seemed to think she was adorable. Of course, then Coco came along, and everything went sideways.

An hour later, Vermilion was stuck in a dressing room as Coco went, yet again, into her “shopping crazy” mode. The girl had been dragged along by Coco on a shopping trip, and currently resembled a store mannequin. Fox was trying not to laugh and failing.

The nine-year-old had become Coco’s latest dress-up doll, and she did not look very happy. Seeing her in a fluffy pink dress and pigtails was definitely hilarious, especially since Vermillion was looking adorably angry in the way only children can do.

“Aww, she’s so adorable!” Coco squealed. “I can see so many outfits that will look good on you…”

“ _No_ ,” Vermillion said in a flat tone. “I will not put on another dress. We are going back to Beacon, and you can take me out shopping again in three months.” Coco reluctantly nodded.


	10. Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look at the title. Look at the ship of this piece. Make an educated guess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is part two of my apology for not posting for almost two straight months. I won't be this bad for a while, but school's about to start, so I won't update every day. For the person who requested OzGlyn, this is for you.

_Heart beats fast_   
_Colors and promises_

_It had taken years of persuasion, but she had finally stepped back into the old, pretty dress shop and watched the aging, beautiful seamstress look at her with a knowing, beaming smile._

“I knew you would come one day,” the elderly woman told her, guiding her to the section she thought she might never use. “It’s been too long, Glynda, but you’ve come back. Came all the way from Beacon to tired old me for a white dress for a white wedding.”

_How to be brave?_   
_How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?_

She had been afraid, for the longest time, of love. After that dark shadow in a dark time, she had left her home for a new world and a new profession. Now, she was back here, back on the same old beaten track, but this… this wasn’t the same as back then. This was different. This was better. She’d never be afraid again.

_But watching you stand alone,_   
_All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow._

That lonely silhouette had haunted her for years. the man she had ever loved, the only man she had ever trusted, the only man she had never seen in any way except alone. He had a heart of gold and a lonely life. She had decided to change that.

_One step closer…_

She left her family home again with a lighter heart and a white dress.

_I have died every day waiting for you_

It had hurt to watch him face his demons, but her had, every day, every time, without fail. That was strength. That was bravery.

_Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you_   
_For a thousand years_   
_I'll love you for a thousand more_

In a way, she had loved him forever, and that would never stop.

_Time stands still_   
_Beauty in all she is_

He had always thought of her as beautiful. Frigid, cold, cynical, but definitely beautiful. She was ageless as time herself.

_I will be brave_   
_I will not let anything take away_   
_What's standing in front of me_

Dumbledore’s tactic had scared him more than he cared to admit. That had been a little too close to home. Really, far too close to what little home he had. Still, Dumbledore had gotten his just dessert and he had gotten her back, safe and sound.

_Every breath_   
_Every hour has come to this_

He stood alone on the dais, not seeing the silent people staring at him. Suddenly, a little angel in green appeared, scattering flower petals. behind her, a real angel in white calmly walked, guided by a portly old man in a green coat. She looked up at him and smiled.

_One step closer…_

One step, one brief, final step, and they were side-by-side again.

_I have died every day waiting for you_

He had always felt sad for her, the angel without anyone. She was a runaway without a place to run to, an angel without wings, a fighter without a fight.. She had a purpose now, and they were both so much better for it.

_Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you_   
_For a thousand years_   
_I'll love you for a thousand more_

She would be his, forever and always. He would be hers, through all of his life and whatever lay beyond.

_And all along I believed I would find you_

They had been stretching across an empty void for years, searching for someone who could fill it. They had been waiting for someone who understood why they looked over their shoulder, and maybe would keep an eye out in the other direction.

_Time has brought your heart to me_   
_I have loved you for a thousand years_   
_I'll love you for a thousand more_

“You may kiss the bride.” Truer words had never been spoken. Dozens of Beacon students and staff watched, entranced, as Glynda and Ozpin kissed, neither ever wanting to stop.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment on this. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Do you want to see a specific incident or character (I make no promises, but I'm curious). Tell me.


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